Celebrity Big Brother contestant Jones, who played Les Battersby, told Daybreak: "I am so relieved. I never believed this in the first place and I'm so over the moon that he's now been cleared of his charges and he's now going to rebuild his life - and we should let him rebuild his life.

"Newspapers, media - let him go and have his holiday, let him go away on his own, sort himself out, come back to work come back to where he's wanted most in Coronation Street.

"Michael is such a nice man. I had 11 years of working with him, I had time out with him after work, we went to parties, we went to places with work. Also I had a drink with him, I never found him an alcoholic or anything. He was just a guy who liked a pint after work like a lot of us do.

"He has been under a lot of stress but he never showed it. He always believed that he was going to be cleared and I think that's Michael's strength. He did show strength even though he was distressed, he was going through hell."

Kennedy, who played Curly Watts in the soap, told ITV's This Morning: "I was absolutely not surprised [at the verdict] yesterday and I'm delighted for Michael, but this whole thing is a tragedy I think.

"There's no winners in this. Yes, Michael got his freedom and I'm very pleased about that, but no-one benefits from this - I think it should never have got to this stage in the first place.

"I think the damage is immeasurable. And it's going to take time. Once he's got over the elation of his liberty given back to him, there's going to be a time where he's going to sit down and he's going to have to heal.

"I think this anonymity should go across the board, not just the victim but the person that had been accused as well."

Kennedy continued: "Career-wise, it hopefully won't affect him at all - he should have a rest now. Michael will want to go back to work because that's where his support network is.

"Coronation Street are very close and very tight knit, and I cannot help but be impressed with the way Coronation Street have stood by Michael and by myself in the circumstances that I had to go through, that is admirable."
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